Call for food drive on district basis

All reservoirs in the hill country are overflowing. The authorities should make the best use of nature's resources and save excess water for future use. Nobody conserves rainwater; more lands remain uncultivated, said Ven. Galaboda Siri Gnanissara Nayaka Thera of the Gangaramaya in Colombo in a statement to the media.

He said: "Teachers including principals, apart from their normal duties, should inspire students to prevail upon their parents to cultivate every inch of arable land. Incentives should be provided to encourage them.

"We are confronted with a host of economic problems, such as scarcity of big onions, coconut and rice. It is time for Ministers, Deputy Ministers and Members of Parliament to launch a food drive on district basis. It behoves us to concentrate our efforts on cultivation - to make the country self-sufficient in food.

It is the prime duty of the media to expose waste to enlighten the authorities.

"The clergy should take the initiative to inspire villagers to cultivate so that such efforts at national level would help the country to achieve self-sufficiency, ensuring contentment, peace and harmony at village level. Despite the emphasis on morals and other traditional values, wrongdoings continue".

"Opportunists should not work to the detriment of the country by exploiting its resources," the Thera said.